Renowned Pacific Northwest journalist and longtime Ocean Shores resident, Gene L. Woodwick, 77, died Thursday, May 4, 2017, at home. For many years, she highlighted North Beach history with her ‘Up the Beach’ column in The Daily World, the North Coast News and the South Beach Bulletin in Westport.

A Memorial Service is set for Saturday, June 17, 2017 at 1 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church located at 1200 Soule Ave. in Hoquiam.

Arrangements are by Fern Hill Funeral Home of Aberdeen.

One of her sons, Brian Woodwick, wrote of his mother’s passing on his Facebook page: “She was a wife to Larry, mother to Brian, Bruce, Lynelle, Molly and Sean, writer, newspaper women, author and historian. She almost made it to her 60th wedding anniversary, which would have been next month. She is joined now with her youngest son Sean and making a place for Larry. Peace.”

Ocean Shores Mayor Crystal Dingler said Gene Woodwick was the “quintessential writer, historian, and story-teller, all done with large doses of humor and humanity. She peopled our past with characters we might have known or wished we had. Just knowing that Gene was in the world somewhere made it richer. She will be sorely missed.”

In addition to her columns, Woodwick was the author of six books, including “Images of America – Ocean Shores,” “Images of America – Logging in Grays Harbor,” “Coastal Combing: A potpourri of trashy treasures,” “Gene’s Pocket of History: A self-guided tour of Ocean Shores,” along with her recently published “Island Girl,” a personal slice-of-life memoir that captures her time as a young girl growing up on Fidalgo Island in the early 1950s.

“Island Girl” is a true story about a love affair with Washington’s San Juan Islands seen through the eyes of a young girl learning life’s lessons — some delightful and some difficult — growing up surrounded by the state’s inland waters.

A blend of personal reminiscence, history and biology, “Island Girl” offers a window into the near idyllic life of growing up during the early 1950s in Anacortes, Fidalgo Island’s largest town, at that time boasting a population of fewer than 6,000.

Family matters

Born to O. Dale and Tressie Merrifield in Cheraw, Colorado, Aug. 6, 1939, Woodwick was the middle child of seven siblings.

According to accounts published about her in the past, Woodwick “was born into a family whose dad was a storyteller, a lover of music and ideas, and whose mom was a family genealogist, who read to her kids regularly and most importantly, who believed in decency with a capital D. They are remembered fondly for being the right kind of parents for her — giving Gene a great childhood filled with learning, words, music, a love of history and adventure that continues to serve her well to this day.”

The family moved to Anacortes, Wash. in 1947 and she graduated from Anacortes High School in 1957. On June 14, 1957, Gene married Larry E. Woodwick, whom she met through a relative two years earlier.

The couple moved to Bellingham, where Larry enrolled in college, prior to moving to Spokane to be near his family while he completed his education degree. Their first two children were born in Spokane, Brian in 1958 and Bruce in 1960.

After earning his degree, Larry accepted a teaching position in Forks, where the family lived for the next six years. Their first daughter, Lynelle, was born there in 1965. After Larry accepted a teaching position in North Bend in 1966, the family moved to Snoqualmie. Second daughter Molly was born in 1970, followed by their third son, Sean, in 1973.

In 1982, the couple moved their family to property they owned in Ocean Shores, with Larry commuting to North Bend until his retirement from teaching in 1989 and then working another 12 years in the moving business for Microsoft, retiring again at the age of 70.

Career writer

A writer for 58 years, Gene Woodwick worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, for daily and weekly newspapers and as a freelance writer. She has won numerous awards as a reporter and columnist, at both state and national levels, including an award from then U.S. President Bill Clinton for her work in salmon enhancement public education.

Her life’s many adventures include working as a cook in a logging camp at Forks, serving and learning on the boards of the National Marine Sanctuary, the Washington Museum Association and Washington Press Women, as well as serving on a number of museum boards.

Woodwick also was a contributor to the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society’s publication, The Sea Chest. She was instrumental in the co-founding and operations at the Coastal Interpretive Center, and a frequent contributor, supporter and member of the Museum of the North Beach. In her spare time, Woodwick volunteered as a docent at the Willapa Seaport Museum in Raymond.

In 1989, Woodwick earned an Associate Degree in Curating from Grays Harbor College. She served as the director of the Ocean Shores Coastal Interpretive Center for more than a decade, starting in 1997.

Woodwick was named the Aberdeen Museum of History’s Harborite of the Year in 2011.

Gene Woodwick is survived by her husband Larry at the family home, her children, Brian Woodwick of Issaquah, Bruce (Barbara Christianson) of Anacortes, Lynelle (Claude) Freeman of West Seattle, Molly Woodwick of Elma and three grandchildren. Her son Sean preceded her in death in 2011.

Remembering Gene

While Gene will be long remembered for her prolific journalistic and public service career, she will be best remembered by those who knew her well for her incredible kindness. One of her last wishes was that those who would like to remember her do so with an act of random kindness.

(Angelo Bruscas/North Coast News) Della Smith, Susan Conniry, Karen Hogan, Gene Woodwick and Jackie Farra visit in the new Damon’s Outpost bookstore area at the grand reopening celebration for the Coastal Interetive Center on July 9.